NBA Northwest

The Portland Trail Blazers announced star Damian Lillard was ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat with a right calf strain.

Prior to his injury, he scored 22 points, dished out two assists and pulled down a pair of rebounds in 26 minutes.

Lillard's last game of the 2021-22 season came in Portland's 139-106 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 31. The Blazers announced on Jan. 13 that he had undergone surgery for a core muscle injury.

Although the franchise wasn't totally rebuilding, it had little incentive to rush Lillard back as it barreled toward a 27-55 finish.

The Trail Blazers made it clear this offseason that they want to continue to build a contender around the six-time All-Star. They signed him to a two-year, $121.8 million extension and added Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II to the squad.

Despite attempts to improve the roster, Portland is far from a lock to secure a top-six finish in the Western Conference. Simply qualifying for the play-in tournament could be a challenge given how much the teams in the middle of the West have improved.

Since a small handful of games could be the difference between sixth and seventh and also 10th and 11th, losing Lillard for any stretch will be a difficult blow for the Blazers.

The Utah Jazz announced guard Collin Sexton was ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets with a left oblique contusion.

Sexton is in his first season with the Jazz after they acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that most notably sent three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland as Utah continues its rebuild and roster overhaul. The former Alabama star, who was a restricted free agent, inked a four-year, $72 million deal as part of the sign-and-trade.

The 23-year-old has averaged 12.3 points on 40.0 percent shooting, 2.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 2022-23.

The Cavs selected Sexton with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He had his best season in 2020-21, when he averaged a career-high 24.3 points on 47.5 percent shooting and 4.4 assists.

Unfortunately, the Alabama product's 2021-22 season ended after 11 games when he suffered a torn left meniscus in a Nov. 7 game against the New York Knicks.

Thankfully, Sexton "made a complete recovery" and was cleared for full basketball activities, according to a June 20 report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Without Sexton, look for the Jazz to call more on backcourt options Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley and Talen Horton-Tucker.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns called his team "special" and said it isn't concerned about any "outside noise" amid its 2-2 start after he made comments about fellow star Anthony Edwards' diet.

This group is special! Ain’t hearing any outside noise. @Timberwolves

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) October 25, 2022

Edwards struggled mightily in a 115-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday after shooting 3-of-15 (1-of-8 from three-point range) for nine points.

After the game, Towns had this to say to reporters when asked about how he can help Edwards on the back end of back-to-backs (the Wolves also played on Sunday).

"Maybe I could do a better job of teaching him how to take care of his body, diet and everything," Towns said.

"That'll be on me. I know you all think it's funny up here when he talks about Popeye's and all that s--t. That doesn't make me happy to hear. We're high-level athletes. But also, that falls on me too, you know. The old cliché falls on you. Everyone wants to take the blame, but it's on all of us."

Those comments led to various reactions on sports media outlets and Twitter, but Towns appears focused on the task at hand.

Edwards said during the preseason that he planned on improving his diet by cutting out some fast food, including Popeyes.

Anthony Edwards said he didn't eat any fried foods Monday-Thursday this offseason -- and said he's not going to have any fried foods during the season.

I asked about Popeyes. He said not even Popeyes -- and definitely won't be ordering McDonalds at press conferences anymore.

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) September 29, 2022

It's been a slow start for Edwards, who is shooting just 25.8 percent from three thus far. But Towns hasn't fared well either, shooting just 41.0 percent from the field while averaging 20.3 points per game. He has averaged 23.2 points on 52.7 percent shooting for his career.

The Timberwolves entered this season with higher expectations after adding All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the starting lineup alongside Towns, Edwards, D'Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels.

The early-season schedule looked easy on paper. However, the T-Wolves lost home games to the Spurs and Utah Jazz around a pair of wins versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their offense has struggled, with the team notably hitting just 28.7 percent of three-pointers (second-worst mark in the NBA).

The Jazz and Spurs are off to hot starts at 3-1, so it's conceivable that preseason notions had them pegged a bit too low, but Minnesota opened its championship window now after dealing a mountain of picks to the Jazz for Gobert.

The slow start isn't ideal, although there's plenty of time to get back on track. The Timberwolves look to re-enter the win column Wednesday at home in a rematch with the Spurs.

Karl-Anthony Towns is ready for Anthony Edwards to cut out the Popeyes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center said he plans on stepping up and helping Edwards change his diet so his co-star's conditioning improves.

"Maybe I could do a better job of teaching him how to take care of his body, diet and everything," Towns told reporters after Monday's 115-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. "That'll be on me. I know you all think it's funny up here when he talks about Popeye's and all that s--t. That doesn't make me happy to hear. We're high-level athletes. But also, that falls on me too, you know. The old cliché falls on you. Everyone wants to take the blame, but it's on all of us."

Playing in the second night of a back-to-back, Edwards finished with nine points on 3-of-15 shooting and was noticeably sluggish throughout the game. The third-year guard admitted his play lacked the energy necessary for the Timberwolves to win.

"This one's on me, man," Edwards said. "I came out with no energy at all. If I come out with energy, that changes the whole team. It’s all about me right now."

Edwards said he refrained from fried foods Monday-Thursday during the offseason and does not plan on partaking in any of his beloved Popeyes during the season. That said, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still days of the week that add up. At this early juncture in the season, no one is quite at their peak performance level.

It's possible Edwards' summer diet held him back in this early-season back-to-back.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a hip contusion, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

The 24-year-old is a budding superstar. He averaged 24.5 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game last year for a rebuilding Thunder team with a bright future thanks to young talents such as himself, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren.

Unfortunately, though, injuries have kept the former Kentucky star off the court for large swaths of time over the past two years.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, was held to 35 games in 2020-21, and his season ended after suffering a tear in his plantar fascia. Last year, an ankle injury ended his campaign after 56 games.

The five-year NBA veteran was sidelined again this offseason. The Thunder announced on Sept. 21 that he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and would miss the beginning of training camp. He was healthy enough to play in the first two games of the season, scoring 32 points against Minnesota in the season opener and 28 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

Without Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder backcourt rotation consists of Giddey, Tre Mann, Theo Maledon and Jalen Williams.

Giddey figures to handle much of the ball-handling and scoring burden, but he could be up to the task after averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 assists last year.

Dame Time was in full effect Sunday.

The Portland Trail Blazers star point guard, Damian Lillard, lit up the Los Angeles Lakers to the tune of 41 points in a 106-104 win, a reminder after his injury-plagued 2021-22 season that Dame hasn't lost a step.

"More importantly, we got Damian Lillard," head coach Chauncey Billups told reporters after the performance. "Obviously, Dame is back and is pretty much putting the league on notice."

It was Lillard's second straight game scoring 41 points, and the new-look Blazers have started the season 3-0.

Damian Lillard went OFF again tonight:

41 PTS, 5 REB

Back-to-back 41 point games for Dame. ⌚ #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/lPybQa7JdF

— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2022

sheesh dame

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) October 23, 2022

The Lakers, meanwhile, dropped to a disappointing 0-3, and issues of Russell Westbrook's fit—he missed a jumper in the final 30 seconds, seemingly an attempt to give the Lakers a two-for-one possession advantage—persist.

LeBron James is asked about Russell Westbrook’s shot during the postgame press conference.

His answer: pic.twitter.com/4J43K5XHnJ

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 23, 2022

Darvin Ham when asked if he has concern about how Russell Westbrook will handle being benched late on Sunday: “We don’t have time for people to be in their feelings”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 23, 2022

Russell Westbrook said that he was looking for a 2-for-1 opportunity when he attempted the midrange shot with 27.3 seconds remaining, and about 18 seconds on the shot clock, and missed it.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 23, 2022

While the Lakers' team-building strategy around LeBron James and Anthony Davis remains in question, the Blazers made some big moves in the offseason, adding players like Jerami Grant—who hit the game-winning layup Sunday—Gary Payton II and Shaedon Sharpe while re-signing Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkić.

The idea was to quickly re-tool around Dame after last year's 27-55 horror show. So far, so good, mostly because it hasn't taken Lillard long to get back to his elite level of play.

He told reporters Sunday that addressing his injury issues last season, getting surgery and having time to rehabilitate helped him come into this season ready to go:

Damian Lillard on hitting the ground running after rehabbing his injuries for most of last season pic.twitter.com/rwpWtBnbxa

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 23, 2022

"We wanted to just put him in isolation situations and he craves those moments," Billups said of the team's late-game offense revolving around Lillard, which included a clutch three with just 12.4 seconds remaining.

Set your clocks accordingly, NBA defenders—it's Dame Time once more.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has joined the basketball world in marveling at the talent of potential 2023 No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Victor Wembanyama.

Gobert, who is Wembanyama's teammate on the French national team, praised the rising star and discussed what sets him apart from the rest when asked about him Saturday:

Rudy Gobert, on French national teammate and top prospect Victor Wembanyama: “He’s unique, something the world has never seen. … He’s taller than me, longer than me. He can space the floor, he can pass. But (he) also wants to play defense. … And he just loves to win.” pic.twitter.com/f7qJos9uZF

— tribjazz (@tribjazz) October 22, 2022

Gobert, who is a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and has gone up against every top big in the league over the past several years, labeled Wembanyama as "unique" and ran down the long list of everything he is able to do on the court.

The 18-year-old Wembanyama has a combination of size, athleticism and fluidity that has perhaps never been seen before in the world of basketball, as Gobert alluded to.

Despite being 7'3", which is taller than the 7'1" Gobert, Wembanyama possesses impressive ball skills and the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting.

Wembanyama now plays for Metropolitans 92 of France's LNB Pro A league after spending last season with ASVEL Basket in the same league.

In 16 LNB Pro A games for ASVEL, Wembanyama averaged 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, despite playing against much older and more mature competition.

Wembanyama truly opened the eyes of basketball players, fans and analysts earlier this month when he played in two exhibition games in Las Vegas.

In those two games, Wembanyama averaged 36.5 points, shot 50 percent from the field and grabbed a total of 15 rebounds, to go along with nine blocks.

Per Michael Scotto of USA TODAY Sports, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was among those who were blown away by the performance, saying: "Everybody's been a unicorn over the last few years, but he's more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor … He's, for sure, a generational talent."

Unless something unexpected happens, there is every reason to believe Wembanyama will go first overall in next year's NBA draft regardless of who owns the pick.

That means teams attempting to position themselves for a high draft pick will perhaps have even more incentive than ever before to lose games and increase their odds of picking No. 1 overall.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is embracing the higher expectations around the franchise that come on the heels of last year's success and a potentially pivotal offseason.

Towns told reporters Wednesday it's "time to be great" and that "good is not good enough anymore":

More from Karl-Anthony Towns on the season starting tonight.

He's vocally and visibly passionate about the high expectations the Wolves have this season.@KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/IVHGgL4Ow1

— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) October 19, 2022

The satisfaction the Wolves players gained from simply reaching the postseason in 2021-22 was evident from their celebration after a play-in victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blY6ClBCscs

As Towns laid out, though, getting to the playoffs isn't enough anymore. You don't give up four first-round picks for Rudy Gobert if losing in the opening round is the extent of your ambition.

Adding Gobert won't single-handedly lift Minnesota to the top of the NBA, but it unquestionably made the team better. The three-time All-Star can ease some of the defensive burden on Towns, and he figures to form a potent pick-and-roll combo with D'Angelo Russell.

This summer was also about shifting the general perception of the Timberwolves.

This is a franchise that has gotten to the playoffs 10 times and advanced past the first round just once. Success has been scarce outside the Kevin Garnett era, and the overarching theme of that run was still the front office's inability to build an adequate supporting cast around Garnett.

Poaching a successful NBA executive such as Tim Connelly and empowering him to expend so much draft capital to land a ready-made star sends a clear message to everyone. A title is the long-term aim. It might not happen this season, but that's where the organization wants to be in a few years.

It's not unlike how Masai Ujiri steadily built the Toronto Raptors into a championship winner after they were on the proverbial treadmill of mediocrity since their inception.

For the Timberwolves, the season ahead is about continuing to lay the groundwork.

It does not appear the Minnesota Timberwolves are in any hurry to sign D'Angelo Russell to a contract extension.

"I have not heard any discussion about (D'Angelo Russell) getting an extension," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Scoop w/ Doogie podcast.

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News responded to Windhorst by saying Russell's agents reached out to Minnesota, but "it doesn't seem like it's being reciprocated."

Russell is heading into the final year of his contract and will make $31.4 million this season. Barring a return to All-Star form in 2022-23, he will almost certainly have to take a significant pay cut with his next contract. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game last season, solid numbers but ones that continue an all-around plateau in his development.

The Ohio State product has never shot better than 43.4 percent from the floor, and his per-minute production has been eerily similar every year since he was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.

Minnesota acquired Russell midway through the 2019-20 season as a way of appeasing an increasingly disgruntled Karl-Anthony Towns. Russell and Towns maintain a close friendship, and the Timberwolves were hopeful that the off-court relationship would spark on the floor.

While both continued to perform well as individuals, the Timberwolves' trajectory did not change until a true co-star in Anthony Edwards arrived to help lead the franchise. Edwards, Towns and the recently acquired Rudy Gobert are the clear cornerstones of the Wolves, and Russell is an understandable afterthought.

Minnesota coach Chris Finch benched Russell for stretches during the 2022 playoffs in favor of former undrafted free agent Jordan McLaughlin; that's not exactly a sign of long-term confidence.

Still, Russell has maintained a desire to stay with the Wolves, and Minnesota is not a hotbed of free-agent interest, so it would probably behoove the Wolves to ink him to a new deal simply to avoid losing him for nothing next July. They aren't going to be able to replace Russell's cap number next season with Gobert and Towns on the books for $77 million; the cap math just doesn't work out.

If Russell is willing to take a deal in the four-year, $90-100 million range, it's something management should consider.

The new-look Portland Trail Blazers haven't exactly set the world on fire during the preseason, going 1-4 ahead of next week's start to the regular season.

But Josh Hart isn't sweating it.

"We're 0-0," he told reporters. "I don't think we're panicking. We're not trying to get Victor...whatever his name is."

Hart, of course, was referencing Victor Wembanyama, the top prospect in the 2023 NBA draft who looks like he might be a mix between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, and a player who could set the league on fire.

The Blazers spent the 2022 offseason looking to rebuild the team around Damian Lillard and avoid a full-scale tank, hoping to remain in contention. The result was the addition of Hart, Jerami Grant, Gary Payton II and first-round pick Shaedon Sharpe. Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic were re-signed. Nassir Little and Justise Winslow return, offering solid wing depth.

Hart has impressed during training camp, earning the starting small forward position heading into the season despite plenty of competition:

Chauncey Billups confirms @AaronJFentress’ report that @joshhart will start at small forward tonight and once the regular season starts

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) October 9, 2022

The 27-year-old also played well for the Blazers last season after being traded to the team in the CJ McCollum deal, averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three.

There would be little reason for the Blazers to tank this season. They've built a solid foundation around Lillard, and while they don't appear to have a team worthy of title contention, a playoff berth is more than feasible in the wide-open Western Conference.

Landing Wembanyama would be an excellent moment for the franchise. But it would mean that the current iteration of the Blazers failed miserably in the 2022-23 season.